fruit of our baking labor

Finally, I got to bake a simple dessert with my mom and cousin tonight! It looks so yummy, don't you think? We baked two things today, blueberry muffin and dayap cookies. I realized though that baking is a very expensive hobby and that is why, a blueberry muffin, for example, is expensive! Imagine, the recipe requires two pints of blueberries and one pint already costs P186! It also needs one cup of sour cream and that costs P85 already! That's one big revelation.

However, we were able to use free, local ingredients for the dayap cookies. Actually, the recipe for lemon crinkles calls for lemons but we substituted it with the local lime, dayap. What is really nice about this dayap is it is fresh, and it is free! My cousin and I went to harvest the dayap that is bearing fruit in front of our Aunt-Lola's house in the province (without her knowing it as she was too busy dancing during our cousin's wedding yesterday). I'm sure that is fine with her because I doubt they would use all of it nor they use it often. Anyways, after we baked the thing, it turned out to be a cookie. I guess, I overcooked it so instead of crinkles, it turned out to be cookies. The taste is not that bad, though. I would surely make another batch of this next time.

------ update on 9 November 2013 -----

Blueberry Muffin (courtesy of Barefoot Contessa, lifted from mehanskitchenblogspot.com)

1 1/2 stick unsalted butter, room temperature (I know, annoying, pull it out the night before) 1 1/2 c sugar 3 eggs, room temperature 1 1/2 t vanilla 1 c sour cream 1/4 c milk 2 1/2 c flour 2 t baking powder  1/2 t baking soda 1/2 t kosher salt 2 half pints blueberries 
Preheat oven to 350.  Line muffin pan (makes 16) In a stand mixer with the paddle, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (5 minutes).  On low speed, add eggs, slowly, then vanilla, sour cream and milk.  In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder and baking soda (add salt after).  On low speed, add flour mixture until to batter until just mixed.  Remove bowl from stand and fold in blueberries. With ice cream scoop, generously pour into muffin liners to top.  Bake for 25 minutes.

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Lemon Crinkles (thanks goes to www.laurenslatest.com for this recipe!)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1tsp lemon zest (i substituted it with dayap zest)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (again, dayap juice)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not metly or shiny). Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

time to bake

A few days ago, I was surprised to receive an email from my friend asking if I was interested in "adopting" her oven. Their family moved to a new place and there was no space for their oven. She did not want to leave it behind nor sell it because it has a sentimental value to her - her husband gave this to her on their first Christmas together. I readily replied and told her I would be very happy to take in the oven and not an hour has passed that she emailed back, making sure that I understand that it is only a loan and I do not get to keep it. Hahaha. Funny, it really does have a sentimental value to her. I am just so glad that she thought of me because I have been wanting to try baking but I hesitate to buying my own oven. This way, my friend and I both solved our needs.

Can't wait to start baking and I am glad that the first time would be with my mom who is arriving tomorrow evening!

pasalubong!

How I love the Filipino tradition of pasalubong. If you are not familiar with this yet, this is bringing a little something for your loved ones when you arrived back home from a travel, or in some cases, after living in a different place for quite some time. The habit is a kind of sharing of what the place you had been to, is. Some bring home t-shirts, sweet delicacies, key chains, ref magnets, mugs, caps -- whatever that has something in it that identifies the place. However, this can also be the other way around. If a Pinoy is visiting friends in another place, they bring gifts for those people, just to share something from back home. I remember once, we brought a Jollibee bucket to our friends in Japan as pasalubong and a local coffee beans for friends in Ireland. You see, giving something can make everyone happy :)

So for now, I am the recipient of this nice tradition when my sister's friend arrived from a 6-week training in Washington, D.C. All these came from my sister and I am so happy! Feeling lots of love right now! :)

independence day

Maligayang araw ng pagkasarinlan, Pilipinas!

(Happy Indepedence Day, Philippines!)

The Philippine Flag in my office cubicle :)

dessert time

Made this tonight after arriving home. Needs to be refrigerated first.

salad education

I love salads but most often, I don't know what kind of greens I am eating! If I don't like the taste of it, I set it aside. Now I have found this, incomplete it may be, but at least it got nice pictures to go with what is presented.

Get to know your salad greens 

last days of summer

Went out to the University Park (Lagoon) today to enjoy the last few sunshiny days before the rainy season starts. Heaven :)

*****

Yesterday, I was also at the Academic Oval because I felt like walking. I tried running again but only covered about half a kilometer before I felt a discomfort in my ankle. Fortunately, no pain in my heels. Maybe I'd try walking more often.

choir loft chair

Engraving on a choir loft chair at San Agustin Church, Intramuros....

 

Interestingly, these chairs are hand-carved in the 17th century on molave hardwood. The church is of the baroque style, constructed during the Spanish Colonial Era, and had been named one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1993. Also, looking up on the ceiling of the church would give an impression of three-dimensional artwork, but is in fact a trompe-l'œil, an art technique that deceives the eye.

What's more interesting though is finding out that the tomb of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi is located on the east side of the altar! de Legazpi was the first governor-general of the Philippines and the founder of Manila, having made a peace pact with Rajah Sulaiman and Rajah Lakan Dula. He also ordered the construction of the walls of Intramuros which still stands today. Before settling in Manila, de Legazpi also made the famous blood compact with Datu Sikatuna in Tagbilaran, Bohol on 1565.

another beach moment

Another beach scene taken a couple of years ago when we were still young and more unafraid - just packed a bag and hopped on a bus. This year, I missed going to the beach on a good summer's day (and rainy season is almost starting). Definitely, next year, I won't miss it.

Pagudpud, Philippines